Your assets, your say
Leah York, Branch Secretary, looks at the history of the AEU headquarters in Parkside and the options for revamping this important member resource.
The AEU SA Branch has a rich history as a professional organisation and trade union, involving industrial politics, amalgamations and affiliations. Much of our relatively recent history and activity has taken place at the properties situated at 163–164 Greenhill Road, Parkside, which were purchased in 1968 from member contributions.
An existing building on the property, local heritage listed Macghey House, currently contains meeting rooms, staff facilities and tenanted offices, and is named in honour of Veta Macghey.
A second building, named in honour of Tom Raggatt, was built to cater for the activities of the AEU SA Branch’s predecessor SAIT (South Australian Institute of Teachers) and includes meeting rooms, a meeting hall, conference room and office spaces, and was opened in 1970.
Interesting to some, Raggatt House is recognised as an example of Brutalist architecture, and has featured in Modernist Adelaide’s walking tour.
Millennial and Gen Z members and visitors to the building have favourably commented on the ‘original’ mid-century modern style of the building including the T H Brown and Parker office furniture that has stood the test of time!
On the other hand, some have commented that they can see that the AEU is not wasting members’ money on upgrading office and meeting facilities. Perhaps it is time to have a look at that.
A number of factors now need our serious consideration. We need to look at the increasing maintenance and utility costs of an aging building, and how we meet the expectations of members and staff in terms of the space being fit for purpose, accessible, and complying with workplace safety requirements. Environmental and sustainability aspirations will also be difficult to achieve.
We need to utilise our Union’s assets to perform best for members, and any future project to invest in or develop our Greenhill Road property needs to balance potential revenue against the risks.
I reported at August Branch Council that Executive, as the Committee of Management, is investigating options and will develop recommendations, following broad member consultation. Throughout this process, Executive will undertake due diligence and engage specialist advisory services.
Branch Executive has formed a working party to navigate this important work. The working party will look at the broad options we have – re-location, sale, sale and purchase, refurbishment, redevelopment etc. – and their budget implications.
The working party will also consider:
- governance implications for Executive;
- strategic considerations of holding land ownership; and
- professional advisory services required to develop options and financial considerations.
Consultation with all members, through all our decision-making processes, will be an integral part of this initiative. Please let me know your views by emailing me at: [email protected]
Veta Macghey and Tom Raggatt were co-founders of the SAIT, predecessor of the AEU (SA Branch). Veta was President of the Women Teachers’ Guild of SA and foundation President of the Women’s Branch of SAIT. Tom was President of the South Australian Public Teachers’ Union and the first President of SAIT.